this is my first incubation. I got a couple of questions.

[dandydoodle]

I have been trying really hard to keep my temps and humidity stable. The temp has stayed pretty consistent at 99 to 100 most of the time. I have gone in there twice and it has dropped to 98 and once 97. The humidity stayed pretty consistent between 60 and 65 % for most of the time but, this last week I have gone in a couple time and it has been at 59 and when I put water in it accidentally went up to 70 this has happened twice and once 71 percent. I don't know what else to do but, let it come down on its own. So does this sounds devastating? Do you think I have drowned them. What could of happened when the temp went down to 97? Thanks your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[dandydoodle]

Anyone?????????

 

[nurse_turtle]

Small intermittent deviations in humidity and temperature are common and insignificant. Just think about mother hen. She has to get up every once in a while leaving the eggs uncovered. While transferring eggs off the turner into the bator for hatching, I accidentally left one egg in the turner at room temperature and found it the next day. It had been at about 70 degrees for over 24 hours. I put it back in the bator and it hatched and survived. Chickens are survivors. They'll be fine. One way to help with temp stability is to fill a ziploc bag with 100 degree water and place it inside another empty ziploc bag and lay the water bag in the bator with the eggs. The water will maintain it's internal temp and you will see less fluctuations.

 

[Edwards' East of Eden]

I want you to have answers, but I don't have a ton of experience to offer here.

We're deep south - I did the dry incubation. I didn't add any water at all unless I dropped under 25% humidity - and then only a few drops at a time, just to bump it up a bit. Even in a highly-climate controlled room kept at 72*, I only dropped under 25% once.

I didn't go up to 65-70% until lockdown at day 18.

As for the temperature variations? Unless they were much more severe than that, and really extended, I think you're okay. Chickens have hatched under broody hens (who do, by the way, in the dead of winter, get up to go eat and drink and then come back to slightly-chilled eggs) for thousands of years. You may have a slightly extended hatch time, but - I think you're fine. Per the accumulated wisdom of reading thousands of BYC hatching posts, you're fine.

Have you candled? How are your air cells looking? There's a chart somewhere for how the aircell size should progress through incubating - I think I saw it in some of the information from Mississippi State's "Department of Poultry Science". Ha!

 

[dandydoodle]

I haven't tried to candle these. I tried to candle once with some eggs one of my broody was sitting on and I just couldn't see through the eggs. I was using a flashlight. I just don't know how to do it. Thanks, for the help. I guess I will just cross my fingers and wait.

So incubating at 25% humidity did you have a good hatch. Everything I have read says it should be 60%.

 

[Edwards' East of Eden]

They're hatching now, so we'll see.

Search the forums for " dry incubation" and you'll find lots of information.

 

[Arielle]

You will hear of people saying their chicks "drown"; this realy means that the egg did not loose enough moisture to make the air cell large enough for the chick to internally pip. The 60% hunidity is often quaoted BUT look at that persons hatch rate! It's usually low or poor at best. As I kept reading, I found those with far better hatch rates used a much lower humidity level. Often around 40%, or less.

It's all about the air ceill growing in size slowly. Until about 13% of the eggg's weight is gone. I use the visual info at this point and compare my eggs to a diagram. You might try this one if you haven't found one. I've seen about 5 different ones. To find others google using the caption under them about day 7, 14th, etc.

Diagrams of air cells, duck and chicken:
http://www.poultryconnection.com/quackers/aircell.html


I use an LED flashlight; tiny but bright. Again google LED here on BYC and find the $2 at like TCS, if you have one near. We buy at Home Depot. Dark eggs are hard to see thru and all eggs fill quickly, that's good, it's growing. Like I said before I look at the aircell when I candle. I usually candle about day 5 7 14 and 18 for chickens.

I guess the part I didn't clearly state is that the humidity ans ventilation and temeprature cause the increase in the air cell. THe size of the air cell tells you if the humidity needs to be increased or decreased days 1-18. At lockdown, the humidity must go up to prevent shrink wrapping.

Hope I didn't over load you. Loads to google and read. GL

 

[SierraView]

What day into incubation are you? 70% is way to high in my opinion unless you're on your last 3 days. If you are halfway into it then I would remove any water and run without any till you're at the last 3 days, then bring it up to 60% - 65% but don't worry if it goes a bit higher.

I dry incubate and live in a dry ish climate. I don't add much if any water at all day 1 - 18. My humidity is running at 32% with no water added. When I get to day 14 I add small amount water to bump it up to 40ish%. and don't add water again till day 17 or 18. Then I bring it up to 65% and wait for hatch. I get 100% hatches on my own eggs almost every time. I've gotten as good as 90% on shipped once.

This works for me and I had few not so great hatches before I got what worked for my climate. I've also learned chicks have a very strong will to live and will hatch under less then perfect conditions and tend to be very nice babies.

Best wishes on your chickies.